Air India receives 19th Dreamliner

New Delhi: State-run carrier Air India Monday said it has taken the delivery of its 19th Dreamliner aircraft and plans to induct one more this month.

The aircraft, which was delivered to the carrier last week, would cater to the Delhi-Cochin-Dubai route of Air India, a release said.

As a part of its fleet expansion plans, Air India had placed orders for 68 aircraft with Boeing Company in January, 2006, including for 27 Dreamliners and 41 B-777s and B-737- 800s. It had taken the delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner in September, 2012.

The delivery of the 20th and 21st Dreamliners are scheduled to take place by end March and in June this year, the airline said.

Air India, which operates across 38 international and 68 domestic airports, is one of the largest Boeing 787-800 operators in the Asia region. It has a fleet of 128 aircraft, including 17 with its international low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, and nine with regional carrier, Alliance.
The fleet comprises Boeing, Airbus, ATR and RCJ planes.

It said that with the acquisition of the 19th Dreamliner, the average age of the recently acquired fleet has fallen to below five years.

The Dreamliners service both the domestic and international routes of the airline, including the Delhi- Kolkata, Delhi-Chennai and Delhi-Bangalore sectors and the routes to the UK, Europe, Far East, South-East Asia, China, Australasia, Middle East and the Gulf.